Russell Stevens News
Feral Hogs in North America: An Overview
This video takes a look at how they got to the continent, where and how they have expanded their territory, and some of the problems they are causing for landowners and the agricultural industry.
The Year 2017 in Review
Hugh Aljoe, director of producer relations, calls 2017 "the year of a new beginning." Here are a few highlights from the year.
Stevens Receives Award for Dedication to Rangeland Management
The Oklahoma Section of the Society of Range Management (SRM) Association awarded Noble Research Institute strategic consultation manager Russell Stevens its 2018 Outstanding Service Award. He was honored at the society’s 2018 annual meeting this month in Tulsa.
Think Before Planting Food Plots
Food plots can be used to increase visibility of deer for hunting or other purposes. Although popular, food plots do not always accomplish intended deer management goals. Several factors should be evaluated to ensure the success of food plots.
Spring Harvest Management for Rio Grande Turkey
The drought and excessive heat has had a significant impact on Rio Grande turkey recruitment. Many landowners who saw fewer turkeys during the fall and winter are convinced that the impact was negative.
Signs That You Have Feral Hogs
The first step to controlling feral hogs is to recognize the signs that you have them on your property.
Association represents prescribed burn practitioners
Many landowners already use prescribed fire for accomplishing their management goals. However, most landowners do not, due to fear of liability as well as a lack of knowledge, labor and equipment.
Cooperatives support wildlife goals
Have you considered the effects on the buck population when an area is chopped up by many different landowners and infiltrated by several deer hunters who want to shoot a buck?
Pond dam repair offers opportunity to improve design
Improving spillway design can help reduce or eliminate future problems.
Drought must be considered when applying prescribed fire
Fire is a natural process to which plant communities have adapted. Drought, which in recent years has been a major issue in the Southern Great Plains, is also a natural process to which these plant communities have adapted.
Think About Use Before Constructing Ponds
Many landowners are building and stocking new ponds, as well as re-stocking old ponds that dried up, with fish to increase water reserves and provide fisheries for family enjoyment or income. It's good to take time to consider all of the values that ponds have to offer before actually beginning the dirt work.
Fish Pond Water Quality: As Simple as Chemistry 101
Water quality is one of the most overlooked aspects of pond management - until it affects fish production.
Fish Population Renovation During Drought
If your pond is low, this might be the perfect time to renovate poor or marginal largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish populations or eliminate undesirable fish such as bullheads, common carp, warmouth and green sunfish. If your pond is dry, you will need to make plans to deepen it before stocking fish next spring when, hopefully, it's full again.
Grazing for wildlife, livestock involves many factors
Grazing management and wildlife management largely address plant community management with considerations involving interconnected, dynamic systems.
Increased Buck Survival Through Better Management
If you are willing to pass up a few bucks next year, you may begin to wonder what will happen to them during post-rut.
Processing your deer extends the hunt
Harvesting a deer yields a significantly larger quantity of meat, and putting meat in the freezer is important for many hunters. Yet most deer hunters take their deer to a processor and miss out on an opportunity to extend their hunting experience.
Management associations support regional improvement
Currently, 17 associations exist in Oklahoma for prescribed burning, and more will be formed with assistance from the Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association.
Pond Renovation During Drought
Landowners are often tempted to take advantage of droughts by deepening or enlarging existing ponds when water levels drop low enough or when ponds dry up completely. This can be an opportunity to increase water supply for fisheries and livestock, but certain factors should be considered before spending money and time deepening or enlarging a pond.
Are Drought and Fire the Great Equalizers?
This question developed during a farm visit while discussing fence line contrast of rangeland between a property that had been well managed for years and a neighboring property. Our objective was to evaluate rangeland health of forage for cattle and sheep, and wildlife habitat following the impacts of 2011 - drought and wildfire.
Review of grazing practices could benefit wildlife
If wildlife is deemed an important component of an operation, the key is to apply grazing with wildlife habitat needs in mind.
Key steps facilitate formation of associations
With the increased publicity regarding controlled burning and wildlife management associations, some people have expressed interest in forming an association but do not quite know where or how to begin.
Common ag practices key for pollinators, grassland birds
Tools and processes that encourage plant diversity are essential.
The Feral Hog in Oklahoma
Introduction Oklahomans have enjoyed or cursed feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in the southeastern and eastern parts of the state for several years. Oklahomans in many other areas of the state are following...
Spotlight and Daylight Cruise Survey of Deer: Collecting and Interpreting Data
Introduction White-tailed deer are the primary game animal in Oklahoma and Texas, which means a substantial amount of interest is dedicated to them. A variety of companies makes everything from...
How Often Should You Conduct Prescribed Burns?
There are many reasons why property owners use prescribed fire. The most common reasons are brush management, wildlife habitat management and forage improvement for livestock. Since the effects of...
Quality of Native Plant Forage Species Important to White-tailed Deer and Goats in South Central Oklahoma
Deer or goat production can be viable enterprises for many landowners. In many areas, native forb and woody plant communities are capable of meeting the nutritional requirements of deer and goat....
Find Out Why and How to Burn at Great Plains Fire Summit
Many decisions go into planning a safe and effective prescribed burn that meets your management goals. You will need to determine your burn objectives and consider the weather as well as personnel and equipment needs. You’ll also need to prepare firebreaks, something that ranks high on the list to safely conduct a burn.
How Chronic Wasting Disease Affects Deer Hunting
Chronic wasting disease attacks the brains of white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and caribou. Hunters can help reduce the spread of CWD in infected areas by eliminating practices that encourage deer-to-deer contact and participating in state-organized deer population reduction plans.
Small Working Groups Help Producers With Similar Operations Learn From Each Other
Agricultural producers can benefit from learning from each other. The Noble Research Institute supports small working groups and associations to help with this valuable networking.
Prescribed Fire Is Essential to the Land
Prescribed fire, grazing and rest are integral processes for maintaining the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community in the Southern Great Plains and throughout the U.S.